Decluttering Tips & a Spring Cleaning Checklist to Organize Kids' Artwork
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
Updated: May 21
Every spring, somewhere in your house, there's a pile. Maybe it lives in the corner of the playroom. Maybe it's a sagging paper grocery bag by the back door. It's the kids' art pile, and it's been waiting.
Spring cleaning has a way of forcing the issue. You're already pulling things out of closets, sorting through what stays and what goes. But the kids' art pile is different. You don't want to recycle it on impulse. Those are real paintings, real drawings, real tiny handprints pressed into clay. At the same time, you can't keep every single sheet of construction paper forever.
Here's the good news: you don't have to choose between keeping everything and letting it all go. With a little structure, a few decluttering tips, and the right help, the season can be the moment you finally do something meaningful with it all.
Step 1: Round Up Kids' Artwork Room by Room
Before you can do anything, you need to know what you're working with. Kids' artwork has a way of migrating. Fridge magnets, bulletin boards, bedside tables, backpack pockets, the underside of the couch cushion. All of it counts.
Do a room-by-room sweep and collect everything in one place before sorting.
Don't forget school folders, tote bags, and rolled-up pieces tucked in closets.
Include 3D pieces: clay sculptures, holiday crafts, and small mixed-media projects.
Seeing it all together is clarifying. It also confirms that yes, it really is that much.
Step 2: Decluttering Tips That Make Sorting Easier
Parents hold onto children's arts and crafts projects out of love, and that's completely understandable. But not every piece needs the same level of preservation. Part of the decluttering process is learning to tell the difference, without guilt.
Set aside 20 minutes to flip through the pile without overthinking it.
Sort into three loose categories: Display, Preserve, and Let Go.
If a piece makes you smile or your kid still talks about it, put it in the Preserve pile.
If you genuinely cannot remember what it is, that's useful information.
Read Artkive customer Shelley's insights on sorting kids' art on her blog, Breathe and Reboot.
Step 3: Your Decluttering Checklist for Kids' Artwork
"Someday I'll organize all of this" is exactly how the pile grows. Spring cleaning is your someday. The trick is deciding, right now, what happens to each piece, rather than putting it back in a bin to revisit next April.
Use this decluttering checklist as you sort:
Label a few boxes or bags so your decisions stick.
Involve older kids in the process. They may surprise you with what they want to keep.
Commit to not putting anything back in the pile "to decide later."
Set a finish line. One afternoon, one weekend, one room. Pick something specific and stop when you hit it.
Remember that an imperfect sort is infinitely better than no sorting at all.
Step 4: Photograph Oversized Art Projects That Must Go
Not everything can or should go into a memory book, and that's okay. You can photograph large paintings, papier-mâché projects, and oversized collages, then release them without regret. A good photo is often enough.
Natural light near a window works best for photographing flat artwork.
Lay pieces directly on the floor for an even, shadow-free shot.
For 3D projects, photograph from a few angles to capture the full picture.
Save images in a folder labeled by child and year so they're easy to find later.
For an in-depth guide, check out our post on How to Safely Save Oversized/Fragile Kids' Art.
Step 5: Turn the "Keep" Pile Into a Worthy Keepsake
Once you've sorted through everything, you're left with the pieces that actually matter. This is where Artkive earns its place in your spring cleaning plan. Artkive captures your kids' physical artwork through high-resolution photography, not scanning, so glitter, canvas, and 3D pieces come through with details a scanner would miss.
You also get more than a book. Every piece is digitized into a personal digital archive, so you can reorder, share, or pass it down later. As one customer, Denise, told us, "Now my kids can see their books anytime, and it makes us all smile and happy to be able to preserve their childhoods."
Order an Artkive Box. It ships to you crush-proof and prepaid.
Fill it with pieces from your Preserve pile: drawings, paintings, mixed media, small crafts.
Choose a memory book to tell their story, or a framed Mosaic that beautifully showcases 9 or 25 pieces as one wall art display.
Review and approve the digital layout before it goes to print. Plus, free cloud storage for 90 days means you can reorder anytime.
Choosing to declutter a child's artwork doesn't have to mean losing it. With Artkive, you get a clutter-free counter and a keepsake your family will treasure.
A More Organized Home Without Losing the Memories
The best thing about tackling the pile this season is that you can set yourself up to never face the same mountain again. The art didn't appear overnight, and it carries real pieces of your kid's childhood inside it. Sorting through it doesn't mean losing any of that. It means finally giving it a home that matches what it's worth.
This small seasonal habit makes the next round of decluttering kids' arts and crafts so much easier to manage. And with Artkive, the result is an organized home that feels lighter, plus preserved memories you can celebrate, share, and display.
